First ABB DC fast charger for electric vehicles in the U.S. is installed and operational in New Berlin, Wisconsin

​Local customers will be able to charge their vehicles in as little as 15 minutes at the public-usage site, note ABB developers

The first ABB DC fast charger for electric vehicles in the United States is now installed and operational in New Berlin, Wisconsin. It was completed in early September on the property of ABB Inc., at the company’s office and manufacturing facility, located at Glendale Blvd. in the New Berlin industrial park.

Following installation, ABB Ltd.’s CEO Joe Hogan received an introduction to the installation, and ABB’s plans for production and sale of the chargers across North America.

Called the Terra 51 direct current (DC) fast charger, the unit reduces EV charging times from eight (8) hours to as little as 15 to 30 minutes for CHAdeMO-compatible battery electric vehicles.

Underway

“We plan to make this charging station accessible to the general public, so that owners of electric vehicles have local access to quick charging of their cars,” said Cal Lankton, Director of EV Charging Infrastructure. The Terra 51 earned UL certification several weeks ago, which now puts the unit on the fast track for production and installation across the US, he said. Manufacture of the fast chargers is in ramp-up mode now at ABB’s New Berlin Campus, with the first stateside units slated for installation in September. “Building out the infrastructure of fast chargers is in the early stages in North America,” said Lankton, “but we now are underway.”

Vehicle owners will be able to use RFID cards, swipe them through the card reader on the Terra 51, and begin charging. Such fast-charging technology is designed to support electrical vehicles on a commercial basis, so that they can be used for distance travel or for quick “top-offs” during normal use, according to ABB. Additionally, ABB’s chargers can be connected to any charging network or community via the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), the widely adopted international open networking standard for charging equipment.

Builds Interest in Purchase of Electric Vehicles

Stefan Friedli, General Manager Power Electronics & MV Drives for ABB in the US, noted that a number of employees have been following closely the progress of the installation of the charger, and several have said it has helped them decide to purchase electric vehicles “This station is just the first step in what we hope is an area-wide charging infrastructure network,” stated Friedli, “Our goal is help provide the residents of the greater Milwaukee area with a rich network of EV chargers, in order to enhance the user experience and drive adoption.”